England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by skipper Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second Ashes against Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
